Global Humane Opens Applications for Wolfgang Kiessling Wildlife Conservation Award

PALM BEACH, FL – Global Humane has opened applications for the prestigious 2025 Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize, dedicated to protecting and preserving the remarkable animals around the world.

The annual Kiessling Prize brings global attention and support to individuals making extraordinary contributions to the field of wildlife conservation. The eponymous award was established in 2022 in honor of Wolfgang F. Kiessling, founder of Loro Parque and Loro Parque Foundation, and a globally recognized leader in the field.

At a critical time when Earth is in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, and up to 1 million species are at risk of extinction, wildlife conservation is more important than ever.

“We are thrilled to begin the search for the next recipient of the Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for Species Conservation,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of Global Humane. “This award honors inspiring conservationists around the world doing heroic work to protect our planet and its diverse animals.”

“The protection and conservation of species is not just a duty, but an urgent mission we must all take on,” said Kiessling. “I am proud to support those individuals who dedicate their lives to this cause, and it’s an honor to see their remarkable efforts being recognized through this award. Together, we can help secure a future for the world’s most endangered animals.”

The Kiessling Prize selection committee is led by Dr. Robin Ganzert, Brad Andrews, Christoph Kiessling, Cybell Kiessling, and Dr. Javier Almunia. The committee will review applications and ultimately choose one to receive the top prize and a grant to help further their significant contributions to the practical application, research, and theory of species protection.

The committee awarded Dr. Arnaud Desbiez, President and Founder of the Wild Animal Conservation Institute (ICAS) in Brazil, with the 2024 Wolfgang Kiessling International Prize for species conservation.

With the support of zoos, ICAS has developed innovative strategies ranging from basic research to complex modeling, citizen science, and certification, while focusing on environmental education, advocacy, and communication.

In 2023, the committee awarded Professor Theo B. Pagel, CEO of the Cologne Zoo in Germany, with the Kiessling Prize, and in 2022, the inaugural Kiessling Prize was awarded to Dr. Jon Paul Rodríguez, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

The application period for the 2025 Kiessling Prize will close on May 30, 2025.

Applicants can learn more about the prize and submit credentials here.

About Global Humane Society

Global?Humane?Society is the international brand of American?Humane Society, which is the United States’ first national?humane?organization and the world’s largest certifier of animal welfare, helping to verify the?humane?treatment of more than one billion animals across the globe each year. American Humane Society has been at the forefront of virtually every major advancement in the humane movement to rescue, care for and protect animals. For more information, visit?AmericanHumane.org, and follow us on?Facebook,?X,?Instagram, and YouTube. 

About Wolfgang Kiessling and Loro Parque

Wolfgang Kiessling is a world-renowned conservationist and founder of Loro Parque, one of the most well-respected zoological institutions in the world, named twice “#1 Zoo of the World” by TripAdvisor, and known for the excellence of its facilities and its incredible work to save species on the brink of extinction. Up until today, Loro Parque Fundación has saved 12 parrot species from extinction. Kiessling was awarded the Gold Medal of the bird journal Gefiederte Welt for the first breeding of the blue-throated macaw and was honored with the Gold Medal from the Government of the Canary Islands, the Gold Medal from the Government of Spain, named “Adoptive Son of Tenerife” by the Island Council as well as the Town of Puerto de la Cruz, and was also honored with Spain’s highest distinction: the Principe Felipe Award for Business Excellence. Founded in 1972 by Kiessling, Loro Parque was initially created as a paradise for parrots and began its journey with only 150 parrots. The park, located on the island of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, now has more than 4,000 specimens of 350 different species and subspecies of parrots, demonstrating its outstanding success in boosting the parrot population. Loro Parque is also home to flamingos, cranes, penguins, and swans, as well as many species of mammals and marine life. As billions of human beings exhaust the world’s resources, Loro Parque plays a critical role in education, science, and conservation. In 2017, Loro Parque became the first zoo in Europe to receive Global Humane Certification, reinforcing its recognition as a global leader in animal welfare.